1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to carriers for rowing oars. More particularly, the present invention relates to carriers for rowing oars having slots adapted to receive the oars and through holes adjoining the slots adapted to receive and retain the oars, for example, for transport or storage.
2. Description of Related Art
In rowing, for example, in competitive rowing, for example, “crew,” the participants propel their watercraft, for example, sculls or shells, with oars. As known in the art, the oars or “blades” typically include an elongated shaft having a somewhat flattened oar blade at one end and a handle at the other. Crew oars may typically be quite long, for example, about 250-300 centimeters [cm] (8 to 10 feet [ft]) in length, and may be made from wood or synthetic materials, for example, carbon fiber composite materials.
Due to their length, oars can often be quite unwieldy to handle, for example, to carry, or transport to and from the scull or to and from a rowing competition, that is, a regatta. In addition, when teams of crew members assemble at a regatta, the oars for each of the teams must be arranged and separated to provide each team ready access to their oars, while minimizing oar loss, misplacement, damage, and confusion with the oars of others. Images of collections of oars at regattas are exemplified by the colorful arrangement of oars shown, for example, in FIG. 1.
In addition, oars can be expensive, especially, oars made from carbon fiber composites. Accordingly, though difficult to handle, there is a need to minimize or prevent damaging oars during transport, or during handling at such events as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, as suggested by the image shown in FIG. 1, if not damaged during transport or handling, oars can also be exposed to mud or wet grass that can also negatively impact the performance and/or appearance of the oar.
There exist means in the prior art for storing or displaying oars, for example, as shown by the oar display racks shown in FIG. 2. However, the oar display racks shown in FIG. 2 provide little or no remedy to the issues of handling and storing oars that are exemplified by the oar handling and storage issues that characterize the groups of oars shown in FIG. 1.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a means to facilitate the handling of oars, and a means for minimizing or preventing damaging oars either during transport, prior to use, or while in storage. Aspects of the present invention address these needs and other disadvantages of the prior art.